National agreement on redress for survivors of child sexual abuse must be delivered

Federal Labor is concerned by a lack of progress in securing an agreement on a national redress scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, following today’s meeting between the Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter and state attorneys-general.

THE HON JENNY MACKLIN MPSHADOW MINISTER FOR FAMILIES AND SOCIAL SERVICES MEMBER FOR JAGAJAGA

THE HON MARK DREYFUS QC MP

SHADOW ATTORNEY-GENERAL

SHADOW MINISTER FOR NATIONAL SECURITY

MEMBER FOR ISAACS

NATIONAL AGREEMENT ON REDRESS FOR SURVIVORS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MUST BE DELIVERED

Federal Labor is concerned by a lack of progress in securing an agreement on a national redress scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, following today’s meeting between the Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter and state attorneys-general.

It’s critically important that the Turnbull Government gets on with the job of securing an agreement with states, territories and institutions.

When the Minister for Social Services, Christian Porter announced the proposed opt-in redress scheme in November 2016 not a single state, territory or institution had agreed to join the scheme.

More than six months later there is still no agreement – Mr Porter and this government must try harder.

No state or territory has agreed to join the Commonwealth’s opt-in redress scheme, but this is not through lack of will. The negotiation process is simply not moving fast enough.

The Turnbull Government must make the negotiation of a nationally consistent redress scheme a top priority.

Labor welcomed the allocation of $33 million in the Budget from the Commonwealth Government for redress. Federal Labor committed to a national redress scheme in October 2015.

It was the former Labor Government that established the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2013.

We know how important redress is to survivors of child sexual abuse – and they’ve been waiting long enough.

It’s imperative that the Turnbull Government gets on with the job of delivering a national redress scheme.